THE New Dawn Administration has unveiled its 2023 national budget which will be funded from both external and internal sources such as grants, loans and revenue through tax collections.
Speaking in Parliament yesterday afternoon, Minister of Finance and National Planning Situmbeko Musokotwane said Zambia will not fail but will take inspiration from countries which were poor, but have upgraded to first class.
Dr Musokotwane has since announced that Zambia is now back in business to ensure that the country attains development.
He said the New Dawn Government has laid a stable condition foundation to facilitate growth of the country.
Dr Musokotwane announced that to compliment the already recruited health personnel and teachers, government will next year also recruit 4,500 teachers and 3,000 health personnel.
He also announced that government will also among other developmental programs reintroduce meal allowances for university students on bursary.
Dr Musokotwane further rubbished social media claims that government will remove Farmers Input Support Program (FISP,) because of the implementation of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), stating that infact the program will instead be refined to give way to better targets for farmers.
He further bragged that government has secured USD$300 million from the World Bank to develop farm blocks around the country.
“Let me make it clear that we are borrowing this money on soft terms and it will help create more jobs, diversification and value addition and not borrowing this money to buy fire tenders,” he said on a lighter note.
Dr Musokotwane further said there will be no loadshedding because the aspiration of government is to provide electricity for all.
He also reiterated that government is working on strategic road networks for a better country and that roads such as Lusaka-Ndola dual carriage, Chingola-Solwezi road and the Ndola-Mufulira road would be worked on using the Public Private Partnership (PPP).
(Mwebantu, Saturday, 1st October, 2022)